In what have been something of a wink and nod to his now fellow Bundesliga alum Mario Basler, German footballing legend Thomas Müller admitted he was tired of all the hype surrounding his farewell.

Müller is the essential local hero, an Identifikationsfigur, brought up just outside Munich in the community of Pähl. But at the same time, this wonderfully off-the-cuff footballer possesses an almost universal platform and appeal.